Getting To Know: West Coast Chipwich

(Courtesy of West Coast Chipwich)

So what is a chipwich?

A chipwich is a handmade artisan ice cream sandwich. The name chipwich coming from the Chocolate CHIP cookies, the wich from the sandWICH

West Coast Chipwich’s Dave Roberts has always been a cookie fan but wanted to create a delicious twist on the classic treat, ice cream sandwiches.

Ice cream and cookies whats not to like right? But is always seemed so boring with the  tasteless wafer like chocolate cookie and plain vanilla ice cream that you always associate with.

After recently moving back to Canada after living in the United States for a couple of years, Dave began experimenting with flavours, and with much success among friends, he decided to take his creation to the next level: building a business.

I saw the amazing artisan ice cream shops around Vancouver and BC, I thought here is an area that needs some awesome chipwichs!!

Sourcing local and supporting other small local businesses are very important to Dave. Taking “local” to another level, the cookies that form the chipwich are all baked by Dave himself.

I actually bake all my own cookies as they are not your traditional treats. My cookies use different sugars, molasses and cooking methods to make sure that they are not too sweet and also don’t turn rock hard when frozen.

(Courtesy of West Coast Chipwich)

In line with West Coast Chipwich’s commitment to local businesses, the company’s ice cream is BC made, from the raw dairy to the production.

The most important part for me was that the company was local and used BC dairy. I think that this is important not only to the taste but also to my vision to support and source local. One day I hope to make my own ice cream!

Dave is always ready to create and try out new flavours combinations.

There are so many subtle changes that can be made in the cookie recipe, cook times and temperatures that can change not only the taste but the texture and sweetness levels as well. Once I have a  combination of cookie and ice cream that’s when the real experimentation begins!

To ensure the highest quality product, Dave cuts no corners, baking and assembling all products by hand. From weddings, and birthdays, to employee appreciation, West Coast Chipwich has all your catering needs covered!

…or just to be the awesome guy in the neighborhood I am available for your next event! Over the next six months I want to put my delicious product into the hands of as many of my BC neighbors as possible. I am confident that everyone who tries my product will love it. 

Only in his first year of business, Dave is ready to continue to grow his company and challenge himself, even looking to future labour expansions.

POP Club

Join the POP Club and discover the Power of Produce!

The POP Club is farmers market-based kids program. Children (ages 5 – 12 years old) will learn about fruits and vegetables, local food systems and healthy food preparation through fun activities all season long!

Each week children will earn a $3 market token to use towards any fruit or vegetable of their choice.

There is no cost to participate. Sign up at the POP tent this Sunday! The POP Club runs every Sunday at the Farmers Market.

Drop in anytime during market hours to sign up and participate in the POP Club!

Sunday, June 3

It’s June already and the Market is getting bigger and busier! Join us for Member-Only specials EVERY Sunday in June! It’s never been a better time to be a Market Member! Not a member yet? Visit us at the Info Table any Sunday to sign up! Some of this Sunday’s Member-Only specials include:

Sisters Making Scents: 2 for $5 lip balms and 10% off overall
Gary’s Kettle Corn: $1 off large bags
Central Park Farms: Buy one get one 50% off on chicken drumsticks
Ela Made Me Do It: $2 off fresh family sized soups
Gesundheit Bakery: $1 off a purchase of $5 or more
Kics Gourmet Products: FREE cup of lemonade
Kizzys Macarons: 1 FREE macaron with purchase of 5
Quality Oak Accents: 15% off certain styles of cutting boards
Rockweld Farm: 20% off whole birds
Sweet Thea: $1 off any loaf of bread (either 9 Grain of Campagne loaf)

Come hungry and grab breakfast or lunch at Hunger Management. Don’t forget your coffee from Biscotti Joe!

We’re happy to have Jana Seale joining us as our musician this Sunday! Get a sneak peek, or buy some of her tunes HERE.

Calling all Kids ages 5-12!! Our Power of Produce Kids Club starts this Sunday! Stop in to get started with a fun seed planting activity and strawberries in our 2-bite club!

Vendor List for Sunday, June 3

Sunday, June 10

Come to the Market this Sunday to enjoy the best of local produce, baked goods, artisan crafts and more! This weekend is the second week of our June Member Month, and we have plenty of Member-Only vendor specials for you to take advantage of! This Sunday’s Member-Only specials include:

Aslan Organics: Save $1 if spend $10 or more and save $2.50 if you spend $20 or more
Central Park Farm: 10% Off Whole Chickens
Ela Made Me Do It: $2 off fresh family sized soups
Gesundheit Bakery: $1 off a purchase of $5 or more
Gypsy Jean Jewellery: Receive a Free Pair of Earrings With ANY Necklace
Kics Gourmet Products: FREE cup of lemonade
Kizzys Macarons: 1 FREE macaron with purchase of 5
Rocky Point Ice Cream: Free Waffle Cone Upgrade
Sable Shortbread: Free Cookie for Kids 10 & Under
Sweet Thea: $1 off any loaf of bread (either 9 Grain of Campagne loaf)
Trinity’s Tea Creations: Large Jar (500ml) Is $2 Off – Small Jar (250ml) Is $1 Off – Iced Tea (1 cup) Is $1 Off
Wax Poetic Creations: Buy One Get One 50% Off!

Come hungry and grab breakfast or lunch at Mike’s Perfect Perogys. Don’t forget your coffee from Biscotti Joe and a delicious ice cream for Rocky Point Ice Cream!

We’ve got a great week lined up in our POP Kids Club! Our activity will be a market wide scavenger hunt. Come by the POP Club Tent anytime during the market to pick up the scavenger hunt instructions, then head out to explore and meet some farmers.Once the scavenger hunt is complete, come back to the POP Club Tent where the kids will try kohlrabi for the Two Bite Club, and receive their token! Thank you to Never Say Die Farm for generously donating the kohlrabi. Drop in anytime during market hours from 9am – 1pm to sign up and participate in the POP Club!

We’re happy to have Norine Braun joining us as our musician this Sunday! Get a sneak peek, or buy some of her tunes HERE.

Kids! Visit our craft table to create a cupcake liner sunflower – complete with seeds!

Vendor List for Sunday, June 10

On The Wild Side With: Oyster & King

(Courtesy of Oyster & King)

Did you know cultivated mushrooms are grown differently than other produce? Most are apart of a group of fungi called, saprobes, which feed off of and lie within decaying organic materials such as wood and straw, not soil. Coming this summer, customers of the farmers market will have the chance to purchase mushrooms grown from a unique blend of such materials thanks to Oyster and King!

Our mushrooms are grown on our unique substrate combination of wood chips and other organic materials and are delivered locally daily to guarantee freshness and quality.

(Courtesy of Oyster & King)

David Xiao of Oyster King says to grow mushrooms, carbon is derived from wood or straw, but accessible nitrogen is usually added in the form of bran, composted animal manure, or other means.

It is an labour intensive process in strictly controlled environment that is
by default organic, and sustainable operations operate much like a factory rather than a farm.

Mushroom growth is dependent on a maintenance of a narrow range of C/N ratio (for fertile compost), pH, temperature, and humidity.

David says oyster mushrooms grow at an ideal temperature of 10-24°C, making the spring and fall seasons the ideal time of year to grow.

Wild mushrooms have unique requirements for fruiting, and fruit throughout various times of the year. Morels pop in the late spring and summer, and chanterelles, lobsters and others come with the early rains of the fall wherever it is moist.

Fun fact: Did you know fungi were among the first organisms to colonize land beside plants? There is speculation that they had an early symbiosis with plants and this aided them in doing so.

Now you know!

Sunday, May 27

This Sunday is May Member Appreciation Day!! Members can take advantage of great Member-Only deals with our vendors! Not a member yet? Sign up here or at the Info Table this Sunday!

Sunday’s Member-Only deals:
Warmerdam Flowers: buy 2 bunches of peonies and get a 3rd for $5
Food Migration (Chanut Crunch) $1 off each bag
Kizzy’s Macarons- 1 free macaron with the purchase of 5 or more
The Jerk Store- 3 medium bags for 18
Alami Foods- Soy Tempeh @$4.50 each, Other varieties @5.00 each.
Rocky Point Ice Cream- Free waffle cone upgrade for members
Sable Shortbread: $1.00 off on a bag of cookies (excluding snack packs), Free cookie for kids 10 and under (while supplies last)
Ela Made Me do it: $10 Polish Beet Soups
Gypsy Jean Jewelry: Receive a Free pair of earrings with any necklace purchase

Come hungry and grab some food at Island Time Food Truck or some delicious Indian food from Vick & Jas’s Kitchen.  Rocky Point Ice Cream and Biscotti Joe coffee will also be on-site.

We’re happy to have Barry Wilson joining us as our musician this Sunday! Get a sneak peek, or download some of his tunes Here!

Kids! Visit our Craft Table to make a sparkly magic wand. And, kids 5-12 – don’t forget to join our mailing list to receive information about our upcoming Power of Produce kids program starting on June 3!

Vendor List for Sunday, May 27

Getting To Know: Royal City Donuts

(Courtesy of Royal City Donuts)

Calling all donut lovers! The much anticipated, Royal City Donuts will be participating in the Coquitlam Farmers Market this season. But before digging in, here’s some more information about who they are and what their products are all about.

Jonathan and his wife, along with their team of fellow donut lovers want customers to experience the balance of unique ingredients that are put into each batch of their donuts.

I want them [customers] to think they are getting more than they expected in terms of flavour and quality.

Royal City Donuts has strived to bring a European style treat, made by hand with care and quality ingredients into the local market. With an expanding team and an eye for food trends, we can expect new things from the company.

My wife has contributed greatly, and now with two members joining the team we are starting to forecast a month in advance with ideas to play with. The trends in the food scene are also very influential with sweet and savoury being so predominant.

(Courtesy of Royal City Donuts)

Continuously forecasting a month in advance, Jonathan says himself and his team are always mindful to balance new blends of interesting flavours while still maintaining the integrity of the donut.

Once you do a few markets or pop ups in the same place you want to keep things interesting and give people a reason to check you out again and again.

With excitement building around the company, Jonathan says Royal City Donuts will concentrate on summer markets for now, but talks about what’s next for the company are already in the works.

We would love to have our own, industrial space where we can do higher production for breweries, coffee shops, corporate and large scale orders while having a small store front where people can get their fix.

Royal City Donuts already has a supply partnership with Hive Cafe in New Westminster and customers can expect continued creativity with their donuts.

We’re Hiring!

Coquitlam Farmers MarketJob Posting: Program Coordinator

Organizational Background: Coquitlam Farmers Market Society
Coquitlam Farmers Market Society (CFMS) is a non-profit, volunteer driven organization and is one of the longest running suburban farmer’s markets in the Lower Mainland, our beginnings rooted in a community economic development project initiated by SFU students in 1996.

Position Description:
The Program Coordinator position will be responsible for creating and implementing a children’s agricultural program at market, and will also assist with the planning and execution of market events.
The duties of this position include: Power Of Produce Program
– Create and implement pilot children’s agricultural program
– Operate program through to end of September
– Create resource manual for future implementation
– Attend weekly market to facilitate program
Special Event Support
– Assist Market Manager with planning and implementation of events, workshops, and children’s activities at market
– Assist with planning and coordination of large fundraising event
– Attend community events promoting Farmers Market
Website Management
– write blog posts about kids/food, PoP program, impacts, activities and events at market
– General updates – vendor updates, event updates.

We are looking for someone who:
• Enjoys working in a fast paced environment and being outside in all weather conditions
• Enjoys physical labour and getting their hands dirty
• Has strong time management skills and is detail oriented
• Has excellent interpersonal and oral communication skills
• Is self directed, reliable, responsible and flexible
• Can lift up to 10 kgs of equipment
• Holds a valid BC drivers license with a good driving record

The ideal candidate will also have the following characteristics:
• An interest and/or experience in community development
• Experience or familiar with the not-for-profit sector
• Familiarity with the Tri-Cities area an asset

Term of Contract:
• June 1 – August 31, 2018 30 hours per week
• September 1 – Oct 28, 2018 10 hours per week
• Wage – $13.00/ hr

Note: This is a Canada Summer Student Grant position – Candidates must be 18 – 35 years of age and attending post secondary school.

Please forward a cover letter and resume, describing how your background/experience meets the above criteria by email to info@makebakegrow.com

We thank all applicants, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Sunday, May 20

Whether you’re looking for a long weekend activity or needing supplies for your barbecue – we’ve got you covered. Visit the market this holiday weekend!

Come hungry and grab some food at Hunger Management, Mike’s Perfect Perogy, or Rocky Point Ice Cream food trucks. And, Royal City Donuts will be at the market for the first time this Sunday. Come early – the donuts will go fast! And, for the real sweet-tooths among us, Solasta Chocolate will be at the market for the first time, too!

Larry’s Brother is our musician this Sunday! This performer is a market favorite and always delivers a fabulous, upbeat performance!

Kids! Visit our kids craft area to make cupcake liner fish! Also, be sure to stop in for some bubbles and sidewalk chalk, too!

Vendor List for Sunday, May 20

We Want to Hear from You!

We are always striving to bring the very best market to the Tri-Cities community! Please help us by participating in our Customer Survey!  You will be entered to win $50 market money by participating!

Take the Survey Here!